Community-spouse protections in 2026
For 2026, Oregon's community-spouse resource allowance is the larger of the applicable half-share calculation, the state minimum, a qualifying court-ordered amount, or the listed annuity-based amount under the rule. The rule gives a $32,532 minimum and caps the half-share at $162,660; ODHS's 2026 transmittal confirms those two published 2026 figures (OAR 461-160-0580; ODHS 2026 standards transmittal).
The timing of the resource assessment matters. Oregon's rule ties the relevant comparison to the couple's combined countable resources at the beginning of the continuous period of care or the date of marriage, whichever is later, subject to the rule's conditions (OAR 461-160-0580). Families should preserve statements and ownership records around that date.
Income, home equity, and the asset test
Oregon's 2026 long-term-care countable-income standard is $2,982 a month, described by ODHS as 300% of SSI. The governing income rule permits a person above that standard to meet the income requirement with a qualifying trust, rather than treating excess income as a conventional spend-down issue (ODHS 2026 standards transmittal; OAR 461-155-0250).
The January 2026 ODHS standards set Oregon's home-equity exclusion limit at $752,000. The comparison chart also makes clear that the equity value of the applicant's home is reviewed for long-term-care services, so a home may be excluded in some circumstances while still triggering a separate equity-limit analysis (ODHS 2026 standards transmittal; ODHS OSIPM and MAGI Comparison Chart).
2026 figures: $2,000 one-person resource standard; $32,532 to $162,660 community-spouse resource allowance range; $2,982 monthly income cap; and $752,000 home-equity limit (
ODHS 2026 standards).
Do not plan from a single number
Ownership, availability, exemptions, a spouse's circumstances, and transfer history can all change the result. Confirm current rules and documentation requirements with ODHS and obtain Oregon-specific legal advice before retitling, giving away, or spending a significant asset.
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